Van driver's four chilling words after 'killing couple while on hands-free call'
A van driver screamed “what have I done?" killing a couple as they crossed a set of traffic lights while on a hands-free phone call, a court heard.
Marc Large, 49, ploughed into Terence Abson, 62, and Georgina Lands, 56, with his Mercedes Sprinter van. Carlisle Crown Court heard the pair had walked over the road when the pedestrian crossing light was showing a red symbol on West Tower Street in the city. And witnesses said they hadn’t noticed Large’s van approaching as they were looking at a phone as it accelerated towards them.
Passerby Abbie Fontana told jurors on Monday she heard a “massive bang” before Large said “it’s not my fault” when he jumped out of his cabin. Her sister Nicole Fontana, who was sat on a bus with her, said she watched as Large realised he had hit the two pedestrians and began to "scream" in panic.
Terence, known as Terry, died at the scene of the tragedy on March 1, 2022, while Georgina died in hospital seven days later. Prosecutor Tim Evans said in his opening statement to the court that Large would have had “ample time” to check the road ahead.
He told the jury during his opening: “The Crown say he had ample time and opportunity to pay attention to what was on the road ahead of him, and he ought to have seen that the two deceased were already on the road as he was approaching the lights - albeit they were starting to cross when the pedestrian side of the crossing traffic lights were on red against them.”
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Mr Abson was hit by Large's van (Cumbria Police / SWNS)The jury was shown several CCTV clips, which revealed where Terry and Georgina had walked before the crash. In one, they could be seen crossing the road from Scotch Street with a vehicle traffic light on amber as the van approached moments before the impact.
Bystander Amy Rickerby told the jury she was several metres away when she heard a vehicle accelerate and heard the noise of a bang before dialling 999. Abbie Fontana said she saw Terry and Georgina start to cross the road “before the green man had come on”.
She said: “As they crossed the road they were looking down at the same phone, which one of them was holding." Abbie also heard an acceleration and remarked that the van was travelling at a “normal speed”. She added: “There was nothing to do with the speed that caused me concern. I can remember the driver was looking up because I could see his face quite clearly.
“The van then collided with male one [Terry] and female one [Georgina]. Due to male one and female one looking at a phone, they would not have seen the van coming.” There was then a “massive bang” she said, adding: “I have never really heard a bang like this before. I started to feel sick."
She later heard the van driver say as he got out of his vehicle: “It’s not my fault.” Nicole recalled that she noticed her sister’s “face drop” and look shocked. She also felt sick and saw Large get out of the van. “I can remember him screaming ‘What have I done?’” she said in her statement.
Another bystander, Rita Simpson, told the jury she had spoken to Large in the aftermath. She said: “I remember him saying to me, ‘I wasn’t speeding.’ Then he said, ‘It’s someone’s mum and dad’.” A mobile phone seized from Large following the collision showed he was on an outgoing call which ended four seconds after the crash.
But Mr Evans said there was no proof the phone was in Large’s hand at the time and his vehicle was fitted with an 'infotainment' system allowing a hands-free Bluetooth connection.
Motorcycle trader Large said in a prepared statement to police he was not distracted at the time, and that his mind was on his driving. He told them: “I really can’t explain how this collision occurred as I never saw the couple until a split second before I hit them.” Large denies causing death by careless driving. The trial continues.
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